When visiting America in 1955, Eddie Garcia, businessman and candidate for the Pleasant Ridge School District in Nevada County, CA, remembers first coming into contact with the American school system and being not only allowed, but encouraged, to think for himself.

“Having been born and raised in Barcelona, Spain I grew up under an educational system tainted by the dictatorship then in power in Spain,” Garcia told Kitchen Counter Conversations (KCC).

Garcia is referring to Francisco Franco’s military dictatorship, which lasted from 1939 to 1975.

Under the Franco regime, the Spanish people endured extensive human rights violations that have gone largely unnoted in the history books but resulted in countless deaths.

In 1955, Garcia was given the opportunity to venture beyond Barcelona, and he took it, traveling to America on an American Field Service exchange student scholarship.

During this visit, Garcia experienced the American school system for the first time, describing the contrast between what he had experienced in Spain as “incredible.”

“For the first time, I was encouraged to think on my own! And that is what I believe is one of the main goals of an education system: teach children how to think and not what to think,” says Garcia.

Having lived under a regime that enforced harsh censorship policies intended to stifle political dissension, religious expression, and ideology that would challenge the regime, Garcia is an advocate for free thinking and expression while also holding the conviction that students should be provided age-appropriate material in schools.

“I firmly believe in the free expression of thoughts and beliefs; however, I also believe that the tools provided to the students should be appropriate to their age,” says Garcia.

If elected to the Pleasant Ridge School District Board of Trustees, Garcia hopes to encourage parents “to participate more fully in the education of their children.”

“The parents should be fully engaged in their children’s education by having contact with the teachers, the board and especially with their children to ensure they receive the education they need and deserve,” Garcia told KCC.

Garcia faces two opponents for two available seats in the upcoming election, Katrina Paz and Tammie Siller.

The Nevada County Republican Party endorsed Garcia on Monday in their “Official Nevada County Republican Party Voter Guide.”

If you have further questions for Garcia, his email is made public on the Nevada County election page.